Skype for Windows Phone 8/8.1 gets updated with location sharing and more

Microsoft has updated the Skype app for Windows Phone 8 and 8.1, adding a new location sharing feature for the first time, among other new features.

In a blog post, Microsoft stated:

"Location sharing lets you have an even better chat experience on the go. Seeing friends or family and want to tell them where to meet you? Simply use this new feature to send them a Bing map of your location, pinpointing exactly where you are."

Here's the change log for the new 2.22 version of the Skype Windows Phone app:

Location Sharing- Click the '+' icon in a chat and select 'share location' to share your location with the people in your conversation

Save Picture - To save a photo: tap the image to enlarge it, then tap for more menu options and select 'save photo'

Notification Controls for Individual Conversations - In a chat, tap for more options and select 'notifications'. Here you can choose to turn notifications for that conversation on or off, so you're only notified about incoming messages if you want to be.

What do you think of this new Skype update for Windows Phone 8 and 8.1?

still there is no video message on group chat... exact 1 year ago i was able to send video messages but not anymore... i dont understand why MS had to delete it? or is it because some ppl got skype desktop version crashed when i send video message and try to play the video?

It needs to be deeply integrated. Needs to be faster and overhauled ui. Skype should offer features like its competitors such as viber, hangouts or even texting apps are providing otherwise Skype will be another dead service in few years. Looks like Skype team is too lazy and cumbersome. Support for sticker. The most basic functionality of deleting messages is not there. What is Skype team doing?

Look - to those that want an AMAZING Skype experience have to realise Skypes history, the purpose it was created for. Its a VOIP system created to run on PC's. The back end architecure is being redesigned to work in the arena we all demand it to work and MS are doing this every day. Lync is good and Skype will get there as they dont want to release something that alienates its massive user base. Id rather they are slower and get it right.

you should not say that /s, I am sure some people here would rather Microsoft develops half arsed features just to be like iOS and Android, like if WP was made before iOS and Android and have more users and Microsoft didn't have to change many things about Skype to work decent on mobile devices.

People seem to forget SKype has to support many platforms it's not easy to put priority on them, Skype works for me, I can't complain about many features missing, but that's me, maybe I don't complain like them do... last time I used it with a phone with no front facing camera and it worked fine, maybe the battery drained too fast, but again, it worked.

People should accept, Microsoft has to have a priority somewhere, and it's not like they haven't brough more features lately to Skype, and they have to keep working on it... also Microsoft has to unify Win8 skype with Windows phone skype in windows 9 somewhere. just like everything they seem to plan for win9.

People just think since this is Microsoft product, they have to throw million features in one day. like if that was the way you run business when WIndows Phone doesn't have many users as Android and iOS and apps in those OSs were made even before WP was released.

As a Business Administration student, I can tell you they are supposed to be able to respond to these market changes.
And we know the back-end is under change, but the app in itself is a mess. You don't need to throw millions of dollars to tweak the UI (it doesn't use screen space efficiently). You don't need millions of dollars to make the app faster. If the people coding the apps are not enough, then add more people.
This is an app/service from your company and you HAVE to respect and prioritize the users of your own platform. Now, if they have to throw a million dollars for this then they should. There's no gain without investments.
It wouldn't bother me (and lots of others) if they haven't dumped Messenger. You took away a great app/service to give us a half-baked one that is not even trying to catch up.
That is not the way of doing business, specially for a company like Microsoft and its subsidiaries and affiliates.
A year is too much in the tech world. There are no excuses.

The facts are that MS has (Satya is slowly changing this) a culture where teams do NOT share information. The better the team does compared to other teams based on a point system then they get promoted, the lowest people get fired. Its a crazy stupid culture that promoted protectionaissm, nowehere is that more evident than the Skype and Lync teams, even the VP's hate each other and believe theat the other be discontinued or assimilated into thier own. IF Satya can change the culture then the company can shift, if not then it will slowly fail bit by bit. Velocity and frequency is changing.

And before I get backlash...I have tons of friends who use group chats in Google solely....which I can't even use on WP because of lack of apps. Now that it's a service I need, it'd be awesome to see some kind of push for the two services to mingle. I can use Google Talk in Outlook....why not import some functionality into Skype too?

They are adding features that are not the most demanded ones. I truly think the Skype team doesn't give a f... about Windows Phone.
I'm still pissed that Microsoft decided to shut down Messenger in favor of Skype. Some of the issues I have (desktop and/or WP):
It's slow, sometimes my messages disappear when I click on their toast notifications, I can't share a simple and basic image, it doesn't have the cool emoticons that Messenger had, I can't help someone remotely with it like I used to, the UI and UX are not good and there is an enormous amount of space wasted, and the account thing... Oh! The horror!
I really want my beloved Messenger back, but it won't happen. :'(
*cries in fetal position*

If you want to use Messenger in WP8 and 8.1, just create a Room and invite the person that you want to chat with. Rooms still use the Messenger network and this way you can chat through the Messaging hub.

To use Rooms, my friends and relatives gotta have a Windows Phone. That is not the case since all of them have either Android or Symbian phones, or they use a PC for IM.
I just tried it with my friend and her Samsung Galaxy Note 3, and it doesn't work. Aaaand it doesn't resolve my issues with Skype for Windows Desktop.
Skype sucks BIG TIME :/

I like the thought that this app was updated but the update still doesn't address my issues regarding chat conversations...i still didn't get the updates of our chat group, while on my desktop, it already has hundreds of chat conversations bashing the new iPhones...when can I read our chat conversation and laugh how we bashed iPhone? -__-

If your chats are peer-to-peer group chats you won't get push notifications. You can check the group chat type by using the "/get name" chat command. If the name starts with "#skypename..." it's P2P chat, "19:..." it's already a new one.

Recreate the group chat with a new Skype version and it will be a cloud group chat with push notification support.

Great to see more updates but the major one for me is the ability to download and view photos and files that are sent via Skype. That omission continually forces me on to the crappy desktop version every time I'm on a conference call even though the modern app is a much nicer experience overall.

Hopefully someday soon it will actually reach feature parity with Skype desktop, and more importantly: MSN Messenger from ten years ago...

or what about iOS and Android have more users? and were made even before WP was released? oh yeah let's forget about that, since it's owned by Microsoft, Microsoft should just go all WP/Windows 8 way and forget about the other platforms they support, do you know how many platforms Skype support? go and make a software and try to do the same... and maybe you would understand, not everything can be done at once.

Oh wow! Such an awesome set of quite unnecessary features. Where is the so much awaited sms functionality MS??? It must be very complicated to add that feature to Skype for WP since many users (including myself) have been complaining and patiently waiting for last 2 years. Pathetic.

With all do respect, they may be unnecessary to you, but for others they might not be. Your referenced SMS functionality is not something I hear anyone asking for, and something I do not find useful. It is all relative.

Anytime Skype gets updated and we get better performance and added features, it's a good thing, regardless if we personally find it useful.

If you would like to find out more about long awaited Skype SMS functionality and tons of complaints and posts from disappointed users, just take a peek at Skype forums. However, I do agree partially with you, we all have different requirements.

and then, why don't you just create a new Microsoft account and link that account to the other skype you got? you can also unlink MS accounts with Skype and relink to another for a couple of times... but I guess you didn't even try.....

I have no problem logging out of Skype and then logging back in on my wife's account. Is that what you meant? Have been doing this since I got my Lumia 1020 (admittedly only a couple of months ago). You do have to log in with a Microsoft account, but it doesn't have to be your own. To log out, click on your profile image, then the three dots, then "sign out".

It seems to me that they are adding these features to HOPEFULLY in Threshold combine Skype and text messaging in a way that Android did with Google +. Here's to hoping! Love to be able to type a text from my tablet/PC!

I used an iPhone for a few days earlier this month and I was SHOCKED at the features that Skype, Onedrive etc. had that are not available on Windows Phone. SHOCKED. But i still switched back to my Windows Phone within just a matter of days.

Great update! I only discovered that you couldn't save photos the other day, couldn't believe it! Happy it's been added now though.
Still feel it's lacking though, I can't delete contacts, edit their info, add a picture to a contact or view my account without leaving the app.

Remember, Microsoft only really took Skype over a few months ago when the Skype CEO chose to leave after Satya got the Microsoft CEO job. And suddenly, you're seeing some updates that you weren't when the former CEO has still the head chief in charge.

I think he means, since now Skype has a new leader since Tony Bates decided to leave, it has been a positive thing because now you see faster updates for Windows Phone, of course Skype has to focus in many OSs and platforms I am sure it must be a hard thing to do... also they decided to drop support for old SKype, which can be a positive thing since they update update and update and don't have to focus in supporting legacy clients.

this has nothing o do with Satya but how Tony Bates left after Satya got the MS CEO seat. of course Tony Bates wasn't "CEO of Skype" but you should know he meant Tony Bates and not Satya.

still there is no video message on group chat... exact 1 year ago i was able to send video messages but not anymore... i dont understand why MS had to delete it? or is it because some ppl got skype desktop version crashed when i send video message and try to play the video?